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[Darth Empyrean]

“I’ve dealt with many uncomfortable things. Bothersome, painful - some even torturous.”, he said absentmindedly as he stared into the empty void of space in the room.

“And yet, I wouldn’t classify this as any of those. Its…”

Dorian paused, considered what ‘it’ was, and took a sip to bide his time before answering -

“It’s endearing. A level of intimacy I’m… Not used to. I enjoy it.”, he said with a lighthearted smile as he glanced to her, rubbing his thumb a tad more gently over the back of her hand.

Wrenarias

 

[Wrenarias]

Wren smiled back at him after his answer. The simple words meant more to her than he could have possibly known, and it was beyond her ability to express. Dorian managed to appreciate her, despite her oddity and broken past. He didn't make her feel like a freak for her abilities, and hadn't been afraid of her after the fight in the alley.

She took another brief sip from the drink, enjoying a moment of peaceful quiet between them. Her contentment and comfort wafting through their touch, a warm, soothing sensation.

"I'm glad… and thank you, for tonight. I know things didn't exactly go according to plan, but I enjoyed myself." She said softly after a short while, turning her gaze back to his.

"I hope you did as well, despite all the interruptions."

Darth Empyrean

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Dorian offered her a smile, gentle and smoldering as only he could. Slowly, he nodded - offering her reassurement through his touch before he spoke - yellow appreciation, warmth and caring through touch -

“Of course I had fun. Plans are for people hoping to stick to them.”, he said with a small laugh.

“I much prefer to see where it takes me - and obviously, it took me to a time and place where you were in my bed; so it couldn’t of been a bad path.”, he laughed again - though louder at his own joke.

When he subsided, he finished it drink and set the tumbler aside, leaning back in the chair as he crossed one leg over the other and exhaled slowly - enjoying the silence; yet it was only for a moment. A glance to the wall, a snap of his free fingers, and a small fireplace lit to bathe the room in a slow and rolling ember born heat and the soft crackling of fire over synthetic logs.

“If you’re tired, Wren, don’t be afraid to sleep. I’ll be here when you awake.”, Dorian offered her in a low tone.

Wrenarias

 

[Wrenarias]

With his hand still entwined with hers, Dorian would feel the sudden burst of fear that rushed through Wrenarias. A hazy memory flashing through her mind, one that involved the man Dorian had run off earlier that night, Duval.

She grimaced and pulled her hand back so that Dorian wouldn't have to feel the discomfort, afraid of what he'd seen if she left the bridge open to him. Her eyes flicked towards the fireplace, a frown tugging at the corners of her mouth.

It'd been nothing more than a gut reaction, a physical instinct remnant from past trauma and abuse. Dorian was nothing like her previous owner, but that didn't stop her mind from dredging up painful memories and drawing false comparisons.

A soft sigh slipped from her and she shook her head. "I'm sorry…" she mumbled, flexing her fingers a few times.

"I don't want to kick you out of your own bed, Dorian. I wouldn't want to impose more than I already have." She added in a low murmur, turning her gaze back to him.

It was a simple excuse, and one that also carried truth, but… she also couldn't deny that part of her was still scared to fall asleep. And likely always would be.

Darth Empyrean

 

[Darth Empyrean]

It was momentary, but he felt her fear - though not entirely what it was about. He tensed, watched her pull back from his hand, but couldn’t help but look to his own fingers with their sudden coldness - so used to the warmth of her hand, of the connection they shared through skin. He bent them before pulling his hand back to his lap -

“Don’t be sorry, Wren.”, he said quietly, reassuringly.

“For now, consider it your bed - a final gift for the night.”

Slowly, he moved to stand - but not before he leaned over and pressed his lips to her forehead - and through them, a stronger reassurance than had come before. Warm, inviting, and all the more calming - it felt like it lasted a few minutes, but reality was only a few seconds. He pulled back and offered a smile -

“Sleep well. I’ll see you in the morning.”, Dorian offered quietly, but didn’t leave right away - just in case she had something else to say; but if she didn’t, he’d walk from the room and let her be with nothing but the popping fire, and crackling heat.

Wrenarias

 

[Wrenarias]

The gentle kiss and the reassurance that came with it eased Wren into a calm state once more. She hated that her mind could be so traitorous, but Dorian's patience helped to assuage her worries.

"Thank you…" she whispered softly as he pulled away from her. Before he could leave, she reached out to catch his hand and tenderly squeezed his fingers. A pulse of warmth and affection blossomed from her fingertips, seeping into his skin.

"Good night, Dorian." She murmured and smiled up at him, reaching over to set her glass down on the nightstand next to the bed. "I'll see you in the morning." She repeated back to him, nestling herself into his sheets.


It wasn't until several hours passed later that night when Wren jolted awake from her usual nightmarish dreams that she remembered she'd left her lightsaber in the bathroom, bundled in the bloodstained dress.

Cursing her foolishness, she slipped out of the bed as quietly as she could and made her way to the bathroom, hoping that Dorian hadn't taken the time to clean the mess after she'd fallen asleep.

Darth Empyrean

 

[Darth Empyrean]

After he had left Wren’s room, he had spent time doing much - but first was the research into her condition. The Telos Holocron had accumulated the entirety of Sith history, dating back to Ajunta Pal; and it offered some insight, but it inevitably was fruitless. A rarity among force users, it seemed to take already standardized powers others implemented and lost control of it - resulting in his research being fruitless.

Eventually, he had settled on the couch - much in the site of the bathroom’s hallway, with the holovision screen playing reruns of an old show about Naboo nobility - and Dorian had fallen asleep to it. With head hanging over the back of the chair - he looked vaguely out of place; and surprisingly calm for the Sith Lord.

But his dreams were anything but. He remembered how vivid the Nether was, how accursed it had been - to tear his identity from him with every waking moment, and ever step. It fought to pull him under, dragged his sanity from its cage - and left him thirsting for something he couldn’t find in that extraordinary desert.

He almost whimpered in his sleep as he readjusted under the thin blanket he had covered himself in - for the morning would break in a few hours; and only then would he find peace.

Wrenarias

 

[Wrenarias]

It was dark in the penthouse, but the flickering light from holovision allowed her to make her way to the bathroom and find the weapon where she'd left it. A relieved sigh escaped her as she tucked it away inside the tunic and started to make her way back to the bedroom.

She caught sight of Dorian resting on the couch, his face contorted from whatever dream plagued him, stirring beneath the blanket.

Curiosity and concern got the better of the twi'lek.

He looked incredibly uncomfortable with his head hanging over the back of the chair, so Wren grabbed one of the extra pillows from his bed and brought it back to the living room.

As gently as she could manage, she slipped her hand beneath the nape of his neck and lifted his head to tuck the pillow into place underneath. Her own affection and serenity flowed into him from the contact, warm and the color of a setting sun.

Darth Empyrean

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Despite the warmth, the moment she touched him he had flinched - but not entirely awoke. He twisted, gripped her wrist with a surprising force and looked her in the eye with instant anger - until realization donned on him, and he slowly let go;

“S-Sorry, Wren, I didn’t realize it was you.”, he said with a sudden insecurity that pestered his tone.

He stood and readjusted his bed as she had intended, and quietly sat down without looking her in the eye; simply sighed, rubbed his eyes, and tried to wake up. Blinking away the dreams he had with some desperation, glancing to the holovision as though it would erase what he had seen, perhaps what he had done.

Dorian sighed, and offered another quiet apology -

“I’m sorry about that.”

Wrenarias

 

[Wrenarias]

When he grabbed her wrist, Wren gave a startled gasp and tried to pull away from him. The force of his grip and the anger in his eyes frightening. From what she'd seen of the man this far, he'd only been kind and gentle. His reaction immediately reminded her of the beast she'd seen before and the fear that she'd brought that out of him caused her breath to catch in her throat. While he held her, Dorian would have felt the reaction Wren had to his outburst.

Then he released her.

She took a sharp breath and quickly pulled her arm close to her chest. It ached where his fingers had clasped around the limb, and would probably leave a bruise in their wake.

"N-no… that was my fault. I shouldn't have touched you… I'm sorry." She mumbled an apology, moving away from the couch as she glanced out the window.

Always managing to kriff things up, one way or another. Aren't you? She thought bitterly to herself.

Darth Empyrean

 

[Darth Empyrean]

“No, it…”, he sighed as he shook his head.

“It wasn’t your fault.”

He offered her as much of a condolence as possible, even a weak smile before motioning her to come sit on the couch with him. Dorian motioned for the holovision to turn up, and reruns of the show he had been watching came back in a light volume - before he leaned back in his seat and glanced to her.

“I... was having a nightmare. There’s no way you could’ve known that.”, he said lightly.

“Bad memories have a tendency to find you when you’re vulnerable.”

Wrenarias

 

[Wrenarias]

After a brief moment of hesitation, still feeling guilty for what happened, Wren eventually moved to take a seat on the couch next to Dorian. She was close enough that he could touch her if he wanted, or pull her closer with ease.

"I know the feeling all too well… had a nightmare too. It's why I was up." She said in a quiet voice, offering an understanding smile.

"Did you want to talk about it?" She asked a moment later, tilting her head slightly to the side to meet his gaze.

Darth Empyrean

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Dorian simply exhaled, slow and controlled. He rested a hand on her inner thigh and drew her close - letting the weight of her legs provide comfort, while he pressed his body into hers for the sake of being close. His eyes closed, and he leaned deeper into the chair - intertwined with the Twi’lek once more.

He was quiet for a long moment before his eyes opened and he looked at the screen -

“No. Its not easy to talk about things like that.”, he said quietly, watching the actors enact something he didn’t quite remember the precursor for.

Wrenarias

 

[Wrenarias]

He'd feel the tension dissipate from Wrenarias as he pulled her close. She nestled against him, sliding both her legs over his and letting her head come to rest against the front of his shoulder. Her breathing was slow, steady, and calm -- much like the comforting aura that settled over him from having so much of her pressed against him.

One of her hands came to rest on the far side of his chest, her thumb idly brushing back and forth across the fabric of his shirt.

She gave a small nod in understanding, not pressuring him further on the matter.

Unsure of what to say, she simply stayed curled around him, comforting him as best she could with her touch and presence.

The silence between them was filled by the reruns on the holovision, some show that Wren didn't even recognize. When she closed her eyes, she could still see the flashes of light as they flickered through the room. It was a relatively peaceful moment, but her thoughts drifted to the slumbering beast she'd seen.

Eventually, she drifted back to sleep while leaning into Dorian's side. A piercing golden gaze filling her dreams.


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Darth Empyrean

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Days later…​

​

Dorian set the plates back in the sink and let the automated means clean what he hadn’t; only to turn back in his casual clothes and walk back to Wren. His clothes were plain, a simple t-shirt well fitted to his fit form, while his messy black hair was tied in a loose bun behind his head. He lifted Wrenarias’s chin for a second, pressed his lips to hers and let her feel the soft joy he carried in his person.​

​

It had been an enjoyable morning. He had slept on the couch once more, but it was comfortable to have someone to spend time with in his penthouse - if only for a while. In Between Wren’s trips to the workshop and working under her new boss, she’d come often to his apartment to relax -​

​

Which was fine for Maliphant. Sith studies had slowed with his apprentices often out of the facility, so he hadn’t much visitors at all.​

​

“Would you like to see a show tonight, Wren?”, he said as he ran a hand across her lek.​

​

“I hear there's a good one in the Ruby District.”​

​

Wrenarias​

 

[Wrenarias]

It still took some getting used to having someone touch her in such a casual and familiar way. A slight smile crossed her features after he kissed her. The gesture had been so effortless for him, as if he hadn't needed to consider the action before committing to it.

Wren was seated on the couch with a book in her lap, an old fantasy novel complete with an armored knight seated on the back of a fire-breathing dragon. While Dorian ran his hand over the organic lek, she felt a slight tremor race down the length of her spine. The touch was affectionate and intimate, a warmth shared between them.

The past few days had been busy, today was the first chance she'd had to properly relax. Between her training with Cedric, working with Scuf, exploring the city, and studying, Wren had been pressed trying to find time to catch her breath. Dorian's penthouse was a much needed escape from the responsibilities and stress of the new life she was slowly building.

She still felt guilty about the sleeping arrangements whenever she stayed with Dorian. It always felt like she was kicking the man out of his bed, but he never seemed to complain.

Another warm smile settled on her lips as she reached up to delicately brush the back of her fingers along Dorian's cheek. The gloves that she normally wore were tucked away inside her back pocket.

"A show could be fun. Will I need another dress?" She asked, glancing down at her rather plain attire -- dark trousers and a grey long-sleeved shirt.

Darth Empyrean

 

[Darth Empyrean]

“If you want one.”, he said as he ran a hand down her shoulder, tugging at her shirt only slightly.​

​

He let go walked around the couch to find a seat next to her, resting a relatively heavy arm over her shoulder and glancing to what she was reading. Dragons, a book of armored men - he cocked a brow at it and scratched at the small amount of facial hair that grew in since the night before.​

​

“What’re you reading Wren?”, he asked lightly as he studied the art.​

​

Wrenarias​

 

[Wrenarias]

She smiled a little and nudged his shoulder with her own, closing the book while holding her place with her finger tucked between the pages. Her other hand gestured to the cover. "Sir Arlen and the Three Dragons."

"It's a little generic, but sometimes I just enjoy the simplicity of the story, y'know?" She added a few moments later, glancing around the room briefly before she looked back at Dorian.

"There is supposed to be a holovid that was made about it years ago. Maybe we can watch it sometime?" She proposed, then leaned over to quickly kiss the banker's cheek, the warmth of her touch and comforting contentment flowing into him.

"As for the show, I'd love to go. I'll need to go get something to wear, can't really go out in just this. Especially not to the Ruby district..."

The Ruby district was another part of the megalopolis that Wrenarias had never visited, though she knew it was one of the more affluent areas.

Darth Empyrean

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Dorian glanced from the book to what she wore - something casual, comfortable. It was an added reassurance that her presence was a relaxed one - and that was in itself, a good thought. He smiled, rubbed the place her lips had pressed against his cheek and nodded -​

​

“It’s a little known detail that you can’t wear the same dress twice in high society.”, Dorian said as he pulled her a little tighter to him.​

​

“It makes you look poor. Rich people are weird like that.”, the banker offered with a quick laugh.​

​

“Cybele, would you be free to help Wren get a dress later?”​

​

“I’m always free, Mr. Harper. What were you thinking, Wren? I could show you some hologram examples now, and order them if you’d like.”​

​

Wrenarias​

 

[Wrenarias]

The extravagant life of the ultra wealthy felt so out of touch for someone like Wrenarias. For her, needing to buy a dress meant that she would have to venture out and physically go shopping, or at the very least browse the holonet herself for designs that she liked at different stores. Meanwhile, Dorian could just have Cybele do it all for him -- and in turn, her. She wasn't sure what to make of the revelation.

Her mouth quirked slightly to the side, running her fingers along the contour of her throat in thought.

"But I am poor." She teased, laughing quietly. "At least, by comparison I am."

"I can't have you buying me a dress every time we go out."


Darth Empyrean